Went to a restaurant in LA today and when I got the check I noticed that it was a bit higher than it should be. Then I noticed this 18% service charge. So… We, as customers, need to help pay for their servers instead of the owners paying their servers a living wage. And on top of that they have suggested tip. I called bs on this. I will bet you that the servers do not see a dime of this 18% service charge. [deleted a word so it wasn’t a grammatical horror to read]
The word that should be there is “gratuity.” I’m quite sure you’re right, and I know there are horrible owners for sure, but I would have to think it would be impossible for a restaurant nice enough to charge $22.50 for a mini plate of pasta to retain good servers if they did that. Restaurant owners who operate fancy high-priced places would have more sense than to alienate their salespeople.
It’s LA, so I assume there are plenty of douchy “haute cuisine” wannabe places that charge $50 for a handful of steamed rice served in a styrofoam coffee cup under the name “Riz Derelicte” or some stupid shit like that.
what a unique and lovely culture… and so, specific…